World Classics — Set 5

Correct Answer: A. Homer

• **Homer** = He is the legendary author of the ancient Greek masterpiece 'The Iliad', which describes the events of the Trojan War. • **2,500 years** — Homer's epic poems, 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey', have influenced Western culture for over this duration, becoming foundational works of Greek literature. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sophocles: A prominent Athenian tragedian who wrote plays like 'Oedipus Rex'; Aristotle: A philosopher and scientist, student of Plato, known for works on logic, ethics, and politics; Plato: An ancient Greek philosopher, founder of the Academy, known for dialogues featuring Socrates.

Correct Answer: C. The Prince

• **'The Prince'** = This 'GEMS' book is a detailed study of statecraft, written by the Italian diplomat Niccolò Machiavelli as a guide for rulers. • **'The end justifies the means'** — 'The Prince' is famous for this controversial idea, suggesting that morally dubious actions are acceptable if they achieve a desirable political outcome. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 'The Republic': A Socratic dialogue by Plato concerning justice and the order of the ideal city-state; 'The Art of War': An ancient Chinese military treatise by Sun Tzu; 'Leviathan': A book by Thomas Hobbes concerning the structure of society and legitimate government.

Correct Answer: D. William Shakespeare

• **William Shakespeare** = He is the 'GEMS' author of the world's most famous play 'Romeo and Juliet', and considered the greatest writer in the English language. • **39 plays** — Shakespeare wrote approximately this many plays, including tragedies, comedies, and histories, along with 154 sonnets. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Christopher Marlowe: An influential Elizabethan dramatist, known for plays like 'Doctor Faustus'; Ben Jonson: A prominent playwright and poet, a contemporary of Shakespeare, known for comedies like 'Volpone'; John Milton: A renowned poet famous for his epic poem 'Paradise Lost'.

Correct Answer: C. Leo Tolstoy

• **Leo Tolstoy** = This 'GEMS' Russian author wrote the massive historical novel 'War and Peace', which explores the Napoleonic era and Russian society. • **19th-century Russia** — Tolstoy's works, including 'War and Peace' and 'Anna Karenina', realistically depict the complex moral and social realities of this period. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Fyodor Dostoevsky: Known for psychological novels like 'Crime and Punishment' and 'The Brothers Karamazov'; Anton Chekhov: Famous for his short stories and plays like 'Three Sisters'; Nikolai Gogol: A master of Russian realism, known for 'Dead Souls' and 'The Overcoat'.

Correct Answer: D. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• **Jean-Jacques Rousseau** = He wrote 'The Social Contract', a 'GEMS' work of political philosophy that influenced the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. • **'Man is born free'** — This famous opening line from 'The Social Contract' sets the stage for Rousseau's arguments about natural freedom and legitimate political authority. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: John Locke: An English philosopher known for his theory of natural rights and 'Two Treatises of Government'; Voltaire: A French Enlightenment writer and philosopher known for his advocacy of civil liberties and religious freedom; Thomas Hobbes: English philosopher known for 'Leviathan' and his advocacy of strong central government.

Correct Answer: B. Karl Marx

• **Karl Marx** = was a German philosopher and economist who authored 'Das Kapital', laying the foundation for modern socialism. • **'The Communist Manifesto'** — was another influential work co-authored with Engels that profoundly impacted world history. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Adam Smith: known for 'The Wealth of Nations' and capitalism; Friedrich Engels: co-authored many works with Marx but Marx is the sole author of 'Das Kapital'; Max Weber: a sociologist known for his work on bureaucracy and capitalism, not 'Das Kapital'.

Correct Answer: B. Sun Tzu

• **Sun Tzu** = was an ancient Chinese general and author of the military treatise 'The Art of War'. • **2,500 years ago** — this classic work was written, providing enduring strategies applicable across various fields. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Confucius: a Chinese philosopher known for Confucianism; Laozi: an ancient Chinese philosopher credited with founding Taoism; Mao Zedong: a 20th-century Chinese communist revolutionary, not an ancient strategist.

Correct Answer: B. A Tale of Two Cities

• **Charles Dickens** = authored 'A Tale of Two Cities', a novel about the French Revolution. • **'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times'** — is the famous opening line of this historical novel. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Great Expectations: another novel by Dickens, but not about the French Revolution; Oliver Twist: another novel by Dickens, focusing on London's underworld; David Copperfield: another semi-autobiographical novel by Dickens.

Correct Answer: A. Adam Smith

• **Adam Smith** = was a Scottish economist who wrote 'The Wealth of Nations', often called the bible of capitalism. • **1776** — the year Smith's seminal work was published, introducing the concept of the 'invisible hand' of the free market. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: John Maynard Keynes: a 20th-century economist known for Keynesian economics; David Ricardo: a classical economist known for theories like comparative advantage; Milton Friedman: a 20th-century monetarist economist.

Correct Answer: B. Daniel Defoe

• **Daniel Defoe** = authored 'Robinson Crusoe', considered one of the first English novels. • **1719** — the year 'Robinson Crusoe' was published, becoming an immediate success. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Jonathan Swift: known for 'Gulliver's Travels'; Samuel Richardson: known for epistolary novels like 'Pamela'; Henry Fielding: known for novels like 'Tom Jones'.